New Release Back Log Entry
New release back log entry deals with material and content for review that never made it to the blog until now. For good measure ther is some current stuff here to check out. I’m writing to say that the health issue I had seems to be clearing but the content production remains murky. Like backwater crawdaddy gumbo.
Typically I spin what I review at least 3 times before I go spouting off about it. Effort was made. However the releases in this post though are not written at the same times nor at my best coherence. That being said.. if you want to write for this blog we can discuss. The writer will have access to music and EPK’s (electronic press kits). Best I can do. Sadly, Meatsheet Fanzine doesn’t have the support it needs at this time to pay a writer.
As you may know there are quite a few blogs and vlogs competing for 10 seconds of attention too. Like Mike Watt / Minutemen , Meatsheet jams econo. Without further talk let’s inspect these releases before they get too much older.
Sharp Tongues – Shadows – Single
Stardate March 1, 2024. Found out Sharp Tongues release this song within a day or so of me posting this. Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden Sharp Tongues are going after that hardcore blended with melodic sound. It’s not so melodic that it is Warped Tour pop punk, it has that DC late 80’s edge. Previously on Meatsheet I covered and soundcloud EP because FUCK SPOTIFY !!
https://meatsheetfanzine.com/exploding-stones-flicker-like-stars/
I stick by my words from above write up. Still sounding like Killing Flame.
Shadows however has that Brian Baker -esque guitar growl. See Dag Nasty, Minor Threat and the tone Shay Mehdrad of Field Day go for.
Sharp Tongues is in close proximity with the 6 string sound. Even the gallopy rhythm of Dag is there.
Also it has come to my attention, correct me if I be wrong that they will be on New Age Records. Reminds me of the 1990’s Mouthpiece days. Shout out Mike at New Age.
So after the rhythmic melodic part of Shadows ends, it slows and shifts into a sing along anthem. An opportunity to pile on and sing if seen and heard live. Or if that is too people – y you can blast this and index finger point to your ceiling and sing along.
James Clark Five – Gadfly Groove – Favourite Recordings
It’s February 2024 as I write about this next song. Liverpool UK artist, James Clarke Five, new single, Gadfly Groove is from the near future album ‘Zoom and the Gadflies’. The LP releases March 15 on Favourite Recordings. ” Celebrating the personal transformation of a quiet, tentative introvert to an outgoing, gadfly-like persona, ths song presents uplifting crunchy guitars and a blistering sax solo. Ultimately a butterfly emerges ! ”
But those are not my words, let me fumble with my own, instead of plagiarizing someone else. The groove of this track is anchored with a snappy, double bass roll. The guitar riffs act as a counter rhythm that makes me want to tap it out on my own six strings. Subconscious morse code frequencies for sure. Guitar tone wise, I agree it is on the cusp of Glam era Bowie and TRex (as per press release). I’ll take it further.
Edgy guitar, but combined with the hum worthy vocal melodies and vibrant percussion, still very approachable.
Some fun backstory as well. James Clark Five is actually a two piece. James Hughes is the former keyboardist of Liverpool’s The Cherry Boys https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/Cherry_Boys . For even more on James Hughes seek out another project – Exhibit B.
Pivoting back to Gadfly Groove, the riff goes from chunky to droning. Bongo like and double bass beats keep time and a sultry sax solo outro to fade by Mack The Sax. I have to say I feel inadequate to write more, but this track is addictive and smooth like fine distilled spirits. Obligatory For Fans Of list. XTC, The Stone Roses, Adam and The Ants, The Kinks, Paul McCartney, The Left Banke, John Barry, Madness, Ian Brown Go here to listen https://jamesclarkefive.bandcamp.com/track/gadfly-groove-2
Badinage – Imagination – Single
Hailing from VIC , Australia, this is the second single from an album in near future ” Once Upon A Time.” Billed as “garage lounge — lush multi-instrumental music that blends elements of 70s psychedelia, smoky jazz, lazy grunge and post-rock” I say accurate with a resounding echoing yes. Listen to it https://badinage.bandcamp.com/track/imagination
Soothing and warm string arrangements in which six string guitar is not in the foreground ! This is refreshing and welcome change for me. You can hear guitar, but the cello is in the front of the mix as far as I hear. Non guitar string instruments are under utilized in my under exposed and humble opinion.
Badinage can be marked safe from the boring guitar bass vocals drum rock that is flooding the internet.
If this sounds intersting or great you know what to do, if you are not in Australia, get yourself some culture. If you are, support your fellow artists!
Sunlit – Someone So Beautiful – Elefant Records
Someone So Beautiful is very much inspired by Sarah Record label bands. For the fans of Another Sunny Day, Field Mice, Red House Painters, etc. Breathy vocals.
Leaning on the side of quiet and serene much more than loud. Shimmering cymbals meet gently picked string notes.
It’s super dreamy and sweet to the point that one may think it’s too sugary. But that depends on your preference or mood. For fun , if you are Sarah Records fan, this would be a great addition to playlist or to compare it to the previous material on Sarah.
In case you missed these releases from September ’23 ish to year’s end here is the official November 2023 and older release backlog.
Appy – ology to these artists and others in which I could not get it together. My intent is to write timely, insightful and honest reviews. If review seems off its because I did not have bandwith to process health challenge and keep this niche driven blog going.
Maud Anyways – Impermanent Lane – Shore Dive Records
Time got away from me and I wish I am writing about this sooner. Impermanent Lane released late September 2023. My suspicions are that this LP will endure through the years. Think of your favorite jeans (if you wear them, anyone ever refer to them as dungarees ? Anyways back to Maud) link https://shorediverecords.bandcamp.com/album/impermanent-lane
Love Affair cool crisp jangly guitars. Timeless indie pop. Shadows Above takes the tempo and mood down in BPM but maintains solid rhythm and strum.
Next what grabs me is the tight locked in groove of Absurd. Fresh and basic back beat with prominent snare. On top of that is more soothing female vocals and melodies.
Something You Said hits the mark somewhere between very late ’80s indie pop and 90s Darling Buds / Lush/ Curve (you get the idea).
Jumping back to track two is Shadows Above (featuring, Casper Iskov & My Raining Stars) This one is so dreamy that the only thing keeping it from floating into the sunset is the downtempo rhythms of the low end and percussion. Text book dream pop.
Never Be Real gifts the listener shimmering and searing guitar that drops in and out of the 3D realm. It closes with a buzz that softly melts into one drone and then fades away into silence.
The rest of the album is just as listenable. Something You Said is uptempo bopping track with serrated guitar edges slicing the mix. Maud Anyways emoting vocally of that feeling of betrayal. May be my favorite. The synth background taking me back to the days MTV might actually play a decent new wave pop song. So ones who gaze at their shoes, go after this album right now. Put down your kleenex tissues and get yourself an LP that will run the gamut of indie dream pop emotions.
Emily Robb – If I Am Misery Then Give Me Affection
Yours truly felt compelled to give this a once over due to the first release I covered here. https://meatsheetfanzine.com/fascinating-once-twice-moonwalk-tutorial/
Will it measure up to this? Will it scratch the noisy guitar riff heavy itch once again ?
First, let’s back up. If you didn’t click above link you should know Emily Robb currently hails from the great city of Philadelphia. Like your guitar playing a bit frayed, noisy, but still riff heavy? Ok then, this is a good start for a review.
First track Hermit’s Cave lures me to a warm demise via tremolo – ed organ. Soon to follow wavering tremolo guitar ( i always get vibrato and tremolo confused, they are similar but not same, sue me, i am not full blown audio brainiac). These tones set a stage of trance like anticipation. Although it’s pleasing to my ears, I expect Robb to come in an spilt the sonic wood with the ax (guitar). Aforementioned partial audio nerd wonders could this be a Leslie speaker ?
Next, A Kiss opens up a dual layered guitar scape. A riff paired with meandering notes. Reading as a deliberate and free guitar sketch.
On with Dispenser. Tempo play, and using the pick’s or fingers to achieve different textures is the gist. Pairs well with A Kiss. Both fun and under two minutes.
Due to personal chaotic happenstance and wanting to be less past due on this review here is the abbreviated conclusion. If I Am Misery Then Give Me Affection is a ripper. If you are not afraid of some repetition and six string riffage that will smolder on one track and then scorch the forest down on another.
Calling Hours – Say Less – Revelation Records
Ah Revelation Records. The premier hardcore punk label since 1987. Remember when they were in Connecticut ? I do but do not ask me if I have their old pressings. Vinyl ly disabled here. So we have a release I just could’t get to in time. Like Spicoli going to class and not finding the time to eat.
This release after merely one listen. Moves and flows along nice and smoothly.
Comprised of Popeye on vocals (Farside) , members of The Commericals (Thomas Mc Grath and Tommy Bavaria) , Garret Rothman and Jim Bedorf (Don’t Sleep) it is quite a formidable line up that is apparent to even a casual listener.
Evidence in link https://callinghours.bandcamp.com/album/say-less
Since my point of reference is Farside, Calling Hours has a slightly more pop bounce to it. There is still that cutting guitar edge and both have that post hardcore and punk familiarity.
Think of Farside as a ball bounce. Calling Hours is not a super ball level amount of pop, bounce, heaviness but maybe more like a racquetball. However the melodies of the guitar and vocals are copious.
Yes, you may shit on my poor athletic ball based analogy. The lyrics make me want to read along. Precise rhymes and hooks maintain the workflow that seems fun and not chore – like. Guitars (4 and 6 string) containing rich tones and production. Let me listen again and single out some details.
Curtain Call is wet with melody and does have a pogo head nodding quality. The standout quality of Low End Theory is the backing sing along hands down. Why Did It Have To Be Snakes sounds like a track that may have been lost from The Monroe Doctrine sessions.
Mature songwriting and playing, but still fresh and fun. Alex Chilton closes Say Less and it a chugging danceable number fit for sunny southern California or Scranton, PA spring.
Little guitar fills trickle behind big drums, and you can hear the bass fill the open notes of the drum. It’s powerful.
If you love Farside like I do, there should be no second guessing and you just spin it to see what’s what. I need to see these guys live. If you love poppy punk that doesn’t suck then this is a no brainer.
Slowdive – Everything Is Alive- Dead Oceans
It’s a good thing I didn’t jump the gun on this review. After one or two spins it was good not great. After a few more, the appreciation grew. First and foremost, if you listen to this LP hoping for the reverb drenched atmosphere from Just For A Day or Souvlaki, you may not admire Everything Is Alive. Let’s be fair, there is atmosphere on it. Just less thick, minimal, more direct. Wandering slightly into ether but not into soupy, reverbed, murk.
As opposed to floating aimlessly and awash in reverb and delay you think you’ve gone astral. (you judge that if its good bad or indifferent for your own tastes). Songs like Kisses, Shanty, Chained To A Cloud seem focused and approachable. The Slab is by far my favorite. Travelling through a sonic iridescent tunnel of light and sound . Its like they are saving it up for last on this track. If not for my health crisis and I actually were able to stay on top of music I discover and love, this is an album of the year contender for 2023. It will most likely resonate through time.
Suncharms – Things Lost – Sunday Records
To the delight of indie pop fans Suncharms release this LP whilst I recover from a health scare. October 6, 2023 date for all the detail driven listeners. The Suncharms are from Sheffield UK and are reviewed here. https://meatsheetfanzine.com/dazzling-distant-lights-sensational-city-kids/?fbclid=IwAR09Igp6Y4aH4kwssQ1EMAznn8nU3gut5CosJyeLI82a8R_wLXYM9E1iZbg
Things Lost as a whole has tones, sounds and production one may find on Jesus and Mary Chain albums. Anyone fancy Honey’s Dead from J & M C ? Both of these have that drum production that sounds similar.
Spacious bass kicks (yes) , gated snare (maybe? ) You know it when you hear them both. Hats off to Suncharms and the audio engineer in the booth for capturing this sound.
Additional sonic footnote: I hear a little bit of that Teenage Fanclub twang. For vocals it reminds me of too many bands to pinpoint or list in a few sentences so think 90’s male female jangle pop from UK circa mid 1990’s. Lest you think this LP sounds dated though, I tend to think it will be fresh through the years. We’ll see, if I am fortunate to share this post in years to come. Tomorrow is never guaranteed.
What stands on its own aside from the well crafted songs themselves is equally impressive album art. It’s a theme that adds a visual consistency to the ‘total package’ of Suncharmery. The painterly cover art reflect a wistful, lonesome air of the title, Things Lost. Loose brush/ knife strokes, painterly and free but enough information so that the eyes and brain can see what is there. A greyer, more succinct take on Ride’s Nowhere album cover.
Whitby and Red Wine Kisses are call and response indie pop goodness and abundance. The male and female vocals are in perfect balance like a butterfly or hummingbird hovering above the flowers.
Dark Sails takes me back to Sarah Records artist Gentle Despite. Compare Dark Sails with this equally lovely track. The writer of Dark Sails is using a similar tactic. Be it known or not.. doesn’t matter, The end result works for me. Here is a clip so you can compare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN48DPJOGys
Very cool to hear a band carrying this torch. In South West Sonoran Desert USA territory, this sound is hard to find locally. I’d have to drive to L.A. and I am not doing that for reasons we will not go into at this time.
In conclusion, Things Lost is a solid album with some menacing, evil titles. Don’t let that attract or repel you. But if there is any demonic backwards masking or spells I am protected. I do jest. I think its time to go to Sunday Records and have you purchase this. https://store.sundayrecords.com/products/747580-the-suncharms-things-lost
Assuredly your support will go to an indie label, a band and not some corporate fathead who exploits artists. With thatI say please support me and the artists contained here in if you can. What you see in this post is the obvious stuff. The finished tracks. What you don’t see is the hours and hours of creation and practice. Shine a light on one of these and buy or just share it with your homies and they will respect you. Be and stay well. Johanathon Meatus March 2024